Friday, August 29, 2008

Eyeglasses have a strong claim to be the invention that has broughtthe most aid and comfort to human beings. Yet it is curiousthat the name of their inventor is not certainly known,nor the exact date of the invention.~ A Spectacle of Spectacles ~

LINDA PALMER

Collecting old photographs of women wearing glasses is my passion. I never met one I didn't want. Over the last twenty years I have accumulated a wide variety of these lovely photographs. Some are priceless, others called my name from the dusty confines of various antique shops. All of my treasures give me personal satisfaction. Now I'd like to share that passion with everyone. This will not be a discussion of eye ware or its history. It is a celebration of those brave women wearing glasses.

So why women wearing glasses you ask? I wear glasses now and always have. As a child my glasses were very "red," my favorite color at the time. As I got older I had a different color for each outfit and now I buy hand-painted frames from local artists. Glasses have always been my fashion accessory.

I own many books written about glasses and they have several things in common. There are photographs of glasses with no one wearing them and there are drawings of people wearing glasses. None of my many books contain photographs of people actually wearing glasses. I wanted to know what real people looked like wearing their glasses from the early 1800s to about 1930. So I started my quest.

Two Pince NezAmerican Optical Companyc 1915Eyeware

Unknown artistBlindnessc. 1810A Spectacle of Spectacles

The first thing I realized was that I had no problem finding photographs of men wearing glasses. They were everywhere. Wearing glasses for men was viewed similarly to that of a man being overweight, it was a sign of prosperity. Far too easy a hunt I reasoned. Where were the women?

Women wearing glasses are difficult, but not impossible to find. Although glasses have been around for quite some time, women wearing them have not. Glasses, you see, were for elderly women, a product of their age. Young women had one goal in life - to be beautiful so they would make an advantageous marriage and glasses did not enhance their beauty. Men felt there was no beauty in a young women wearing glasses, rather it was a sign that the woman felt herself equal to men. Women were discouraged from wearing glasses and sometimes even forbidden to wear glasses.God forbid a woman was able to see what she was doing.

The photographers themselves had a great deal to do with why there were so few photographs of women wearing glasses. Most photographers considered themselves artists in the same sense as old world painters and glasses played no part in their artistic vision. They often asked women to remove their glasses. They complained of the glare from the glasses when taking a photograph. I do find it strange that there was no glare from the glasses men were wearing.I like a challenge, so I decided to collect women wearing glasses. Once the collection grew I knew I had to write a book to show those real women wearing glasses. The collection and the book became one, My Blind Passion.

My collection numbers several hundred examples of women wearing glasses. Below is probably the earliest photograph I own of a woman wearing glasses. It is a daguerreotype, of which I have three. The woman looks as if taking her portrait was very painful.

I also have one ambrotype and one tintype of a woman wearing glasses. As I only have one of each I'm sure you won't mind if I save them for the book. The bulk of my collection are Cartes de Visite, Cabinet Cards, and card mounted photographs. The following are examples of the different types of photographs I own.

Each of the different types of photographs in the collection are broken down into sub-categories. For example, infants, children, mothers and children, vignette, sitting, standing, communion, graduation, wedding, and occupation to name a few.

One of the categories I identify as glamour shots. Attractive women dressed elegantly and brave enough to wear those glasses.

Card Mounted PhotographEricksonUnknownAuthor's Collection(pince nez)

Another category is the weird strange and unusual. Below the young woman has tied herself to the fashion trends of her time even when they were not flattering and she wears those glasses.

Cabinet CardThayerUnknownAuthor's Collection(pince nez)

One of the more exciting sub-categories of women wearing glasses, actually doesn't involve the wearing. Instead it is photographs of women who are holding their glasses, or who have pinned their glasses to their clothing. Below is a Carte de Visite of a Civil War era woman holding her glasses in her hand (see inset).

Directly below the inset is a photograph of a woman who has attached her glasses to her clothing. These are very difficult to find.

Carte de VisiteHobson BrothersUnknownAuthor's Collection(spectacles)

Next is one of my favorite sub-categories, an infant wearing glasses. Just as today we place a baby in a cooking pot, put a chef's hat on their head, hand them some spoons and take their picture, early parents played cute with their infants as well. Our little girl is wearing glasses and reading the newspaper. Infants wearing glasses either for fun or function are difficult to acquire.

Cabinet CardFellowsUnknownAuthor's Collection(spectacles)

Equally difficult to find are children wearing glasses. The little girl is wearing pince nez (pinch on the nose glasses) attached with a cord. She poses with an umbrella under her arm and an exceptionally short hairstyle which could indicate illness or hair that just wouldn't grow.

Carte de VisiteJ. C. SteinmanUnknownAuthor's Collection(pince nez)

Below is a photograph of a nurse wearing glasses. It depicts her wearing the clothing suitable for her particular field. Photographs that reflect job affiliated costumes are called occupational photographs. Other occupations where photographs of women wearing glasses can be found are school teacher, nanny, librarian, and nun. I have the school teacher, nanny, and librarian, I'm still searching for the nun.

Card Mounted PhotographJarvisUnknownAuthor's Collection(pince nez)

Another sub-category of collecting in women wearing glasses is women holding opera glasses or binoculars. I have very few photographs of this category. The women with opera glasses are usually elegantly dressed; the opera glasses a prop to indicate their level of culture.

A bride must have really needed her glasses to have her wedding photograph taken wearing them.

Card Mounted PhotographSteihaugUnknownAuthor's Collection(spectacles)

I also collect ephemera to compliment my collection of women wearing glasses. Below are two small, illustrated cards we now call trade cards advertising two opticians. By the 1880s, trade cards had become a major way of advertising America's products and services. The popularity of trade cards peaked around 1890, and then almost completely faded by the early 1900s when other forms of advertising in color became more cost effective.

Trade CardUnknownAuthor's Collection

Trade CardUnknownAuthor's Collection

Along with advertising I collect photographs of businesses that sold eyeglasses such as the one below that advertises "Spectacles & Eyeglasses" and "Eyes Examined Free." Often the sales of eyeglasses were combined with jewelers, watchmakers and the sale of silver. Eyeglasses were one of the top items stolen, as they were originally constructed of silver and gold.

Postcard RPPCUnknownc. 1904Author's Collection

And now I close with my favorite photograph of a woman wearing glasses.

I have saved some of the most rare photographs for the book. I have only three with tinted glasses. One actual photograph with a lorgnette, and three with glasses in their cases on chains around the neck.

What an excellent story you spin and what a lovely set of photographs of ladies with and without glasses. I am so happy that you talked the footnoteMaven into letting you write today's guest column. The two of you compliment each other so very much.

I am delighted to learn of your book about ladies wearing spectacles --- I'm sure it will be most well received. Thanks for reviewing it for us here at SHADES.

Thanks, MAVEN, for another excellent writer and guest --- this is the best one yet in my opinion.

My regards to you both,Terry ThorntonFulton, MississippiHILL COUNTRY OF MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI

Your photographs reminded me of a book from my childhood in which a young woman (of your early twentieth century time frame) wore eyeglasses. It took me some time to remember and track her down - Carney Sibley of the Betsy-Tacy series. As I recall, "Carney's House Party" had several illustrations of Carney wearing her spectacles. She was special because she wore glasses (as did I) and as I recall none of my other fictional friends did. Thanks for bringing her back.

Your passion comes through loud and clear. How I'd love to see some of those artist-painted frames you speak of. I wear glasses (since 8th grade) but not just for reading. Shopping for new frames is as excruciating a chore for me as shopping for jeans or a swimsuit. The problem is I just don't like myself in glasses!

The next time I have to shop for frames I'll come back and review your article and maybe just maybe I'll be more inspired.

Thanks for sharing this with us, it's been a wonderful read. I'm now trying to think of ancestors and photos in which somebody is wearing glasses and I can only think of my Aunty Edna. One photo of her as a child showed reflection in her glasses and the photographer had made a comment on the back of the photo.

Just saw this article! What a wonderful article! Can't wait for more! Thought I saw a pix a few weeks ago of Linda, but wasn't sure it was here! Hope everything is progressing nicely for a wonderful writer and genealogist!

Some great photos of women wearing a pince-nez. You may use any of the few photos I have of women posted on flickr.com under pince-nez...the majority of photos in my collection are of young men wearing a pince-nez. You'll find some detailed historical info there as well.

Pince-nez eyeglasses were by far the most popular type of eyewear from the late 1880's until 1920, especially the rimless type.

Contrary to popular belief, a perfectly fitted pince-nez stayed securely and very comfortably attached to the bridge of the nose at all times. Pince-nez in that era were referred to most often as eyeglasses. Spectacles had arms or temples. Eyeglasses and Spectacles were unisex until the late 1930's.

I found this very interesting. I was doing some research on a photograph I recently acquired where a young boy is wearing glasses. Here it is if you are interested. http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z379/crystalcurtis/old-photo.jpg

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About Shades Of The Departed

I have been collecting photographs for over twenty years. This blog will discuss that collection, the types of categories I've developed for that collection, and the types of photographs I collect.
I will also share with you what I've learned or am learning about scanning, creating a database, analyzing and dating my collection, and anything else that strikes my fancy related to photography and my collection.

About The Collector

I am fascinated by the clues left in the photographs I collect. Every picture is a miniature mystery and I love a mystery.

My grandfather was a photographer who traveled with the famous Burton Holmes. I am fortunate to have original photographs by
both men.

When I was ten my grandfather gave me a camera as a birthday gift. It was evident that I did not inherit the "photographer gene."
I have taken only one photograph in my entire life that I liked, but I know a good one when I see it.

I am a great appreciator.

Fortunately, I don't take myself too seriously. I know enough about
collecting photographs to know I don't know everything, but I am learning.